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Harding University Athletics

TAnner Smith
6
Winner Northwestern Okla. NWOSUBB 6-3, 1-0 GAC
2
Harding HU 4-4, 0-1 GAC
Winner
Northwestern Okla. NWOSUBB
6-3, 1-0 GAC
6
Final
2
Harding HU
4-4, 0-1 GAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Northwestern Okla. NWOSUBB 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 1 1 6 13 2
Harding HU 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 2 5 0

W: Walker Wharton (3-0) L: Allen, Austin (1-2) S: Matthew Bickford (1)

1
Northwestern Okla. NWOSUBB 6-4, 1-1 GAC
9
Winner Harding HU 5-4, 1-1 GAC
Northwestern Okla. NWOSUBB
6-4, 1-1 GAC
1
Final
9
Harding HU
5-4, 1-1 GAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Northwestern Okla. NWOSUBB 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 3
Harding HU 0 9 0 0 0 0 X 9 9 1

W: Smith, Tanner (2-1) L: Sean Rydell (1-2)

Game Recap: Baseball | | by Scott Goode (2/17/18)

Nine-Run Second Inning Lifts Harding to Victory at Northwestern Oklahoma

ALVA, Okla. – For the third time in Harding's last four games, the Bisons scored nine runs in an inning. Saturday it came in the second inning of the second game of Harding's doubleheader against Northwestern Oklahoma.

Northwestern won the first game of the three-game series 6-2, but thanks to Harding's big inning, the Bisons won game two 9-1. The final game of the series is Sunday at noon.

The first series of the Great American Conference season was originally scheduled for Searcy, but heavy rain in the area forced the series to be moved to Alva.

With the split, Harding is 5-4 overall and 1-1 in conference. Northwestern is 6-4 overall and 1-1 in the GAC.

In Harding's nine-run second inning, the Bisons had six hits, including three extra-base hits, and eight of the runs scored with two outs. Harding sent 15 batters to the plate in the inning.

With a 9-1 lead after two, Harding starting pitcher Tanner Smith (2-1) mowed down Northwestern's hitters over the last five innings. Smith allowed only four hits and one earned run with one walk and four strikeouts, needing only 70 pitches (51 strikes) in the complete game. Smith has won his last two starts and has a 2.08 ERA with 12 strikeouts and two walks in 17 1/3 innings.

Chris Taylor went 2-for-4 with a run, a double and two RBIs in game one, and Nolan Fertig was 2-for-4 with two runs, an RBI and a triple.

In game two, Harding starter Austin Allen (1-2) cruised through the first five innings, scattering four hits and allowing no runs before running into trouble in the sixth.

Northwestern loaded the bases with three consecutive singles before Johnnuelle Ponce unloaded them with a grand slam to straight-away center field.

Allen got the first two outs of the inning after the home run but left after Greg Carrington's bunt single. Allen went 5 2/3 and allowed nine hits and four earned runs with two strikeouts.

Harding answered with two runs in the bottom of the sixth. Grant Guest reached on an error to lead off the inning and went to third two batters later on Luke Van Dover's double. Guest scored on a Chris Taylor sacrifice fly, and Miles Humphreys drove in Van Dover with a single to right.

Those were the only two runs given up by Northwestern starter Walker Wharton, who remained perfect at 3-0 on the season. Wharton pitched seven inning and struck out five.

Northwestern added runs on RBI doubles from T.J. Kassner in the eighth and from Justin Bundy in the ninth. Both of those runs came off Harding reliever Jackson Ward, who pitched three innings and struck out four.

Guest had two of Harding's five hits in the opener, his team-leading third multi-hit game of the season.
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